Unlocking Collaborative Low-Carbon Innovation in Industrial Clusters Environment: A Network Evolutionary Game Approach

Numerous small and micro enterprises in Industrial clusters cannot directly participate in low-carbon technology co-innovation cooperation due to their limited technological research and development capabilities, and they need to rely on the diffusion of the results of low-carbon technology co-innovation cooperation in order to obtain the necessary technology and knowledge. However, scientific research is still needed to clarify the diffusion mechanism of cooperative results in a cluster environment and what factors can accelerate the diffusion efficiency. To address this gap, this paper constructs a complex network game model using a scale-free network as its framework. Through simulation analysis, the following conclusions are drawn: (1) Increasing equipment procurement subsidies can promote the diffusion of outcomes, and the larger the cluster, the greater the subsidy required; (2) Increasing carbon emission tax rates can also promote diffusion, but it is necessary to assess corporate affordability based on cluster scale and scientifically formulate tax rates; (3) Carbon tax incentives have limited effects on the diffusion of outcomes, and large-scale clusters exhibit sluggish responses to them; (4) Enhancing cluster management capabilities and fostering distinctive features can promote diffusion, with large-scale clusters demanding even higher standards; (5) Adjusting the prices of low-carbon products has a limited impact on diffusion and is not a sufficient condition; large-scale clusters are insensitive to this factor.